Hi all,

I'm looking for some help...

My car (A 83 240D) started to nail or knock on cylinder number one (Found by cracking the injector nuts.) A couple of days later (Wednesday) I don't have the cylinder all at idle, I thought it was something in the fuel system because I had bubbles in that injector line that wouldn't go away. I did a compression test with the following results:

#1 11 bars
#2 28 bars
#3 28 bars
#4 27 bars

All done hot by the glow plugs. Hoping that the injector was leaking compression I redid #1 by the injector and got about 10 bars.

The next day I did a air induction test on number one and found it to be leaking all out of the crankcase So it would seem the rings are rather dead.

Now the part that scares me is the between the nailing/knocking and losing the cylinder, I was reseting the valve cover gasket and was cleaning the setting area with crab and brake cleaner. After doing that job I let it sit for at least 30 minutes so every thing could evaporate off but it seemed to start on crab cleaner! it must have gotten into the intake and stayed there. (I do need a manifold gasket.) I do not recall if after I got it started on diesel if I lost number one or not.

It seem to smooth out at highway speeds and I think I have all four at high engine speeds... All though Friday I stalled a few times coming to a stop. I think my fuel filter was dirty and I changed that today.

I would like to know what it sound like to you guys and if I would be killing it more by driving to my work and back every day, 80 miles round trip. My only other transportation likes it Diesel at 10 MPG.

Thank you,
Nathan.

I doubt it's ever going to get better so I'd keep driving it while I looked for a replacement engine.

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1977 300d 70k--sold 08
1985 300TD 185k+
1984 307d 126k--sold 8/03
1985 409d 65k--sold 06
1984 300SD 315k--daughter's car
1979 300SD 122k--sold 2/11
1999 Fuso FG Expedition Camper
1993 GMC Sierra 6.5 TD 4x4
1982 Bluebird Wanderlodge CAT 3208--Sold 2/13

It wouldn't be worth try to fix the one cylinder?

I don't think the carb cleaner would damage the head gasket, but there is always a chance. D

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1985 300TD Turbo Euro-wagon
1979 280CE 225,200 miles
1985 300D Turbo 264,000 miles
1976 240D 190,000 miles
1979 300TD 220,000

GONE but not forgotten
1976 300D 195,300 miles
1983 300D Turbo 175,000 miles

http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e3...e485-1-2-1.jpg

do the oil trick, take the dry compression readings, then squirt some oil into the combustion chamber, take the readings again. If the compression goes way up, then you have ring issues. If it doesnt go way up, then you have head/valve issues.

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Have you ever noticed that anybody driving slower than you is an idiot, and anyone going faster than you is a maniac?

As long as they would add one additional commandment for you to keep thy religion to thyself.
George Carlin (Wonder where he is now..)

1981 240d (engine donor 1983 240d) recently rebuilt engine hurray! - No more.. fought a tree and the tree won.

pearl black 1983 240d 4speed (Converted!@$$%) atleast the tranny was rebuilt.

Most of the time its #one that goes south, at least in the ones I've seen. Doing one cylinder is not much of an option with these engines.

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1985 Euro 240D 5 spd 140K
1979 240D 5 spd, 40K on engine rebuild
1994 Dodge/Cummins, 5 spd, 121K
1964 Allice Chalmers D15 tractor
2014 Kubota L3800 tractor
1964 VW bug

"Lifes too short to drive a boring car"

Well its already shot so just drive it until you find a replacement.

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1999 SL500
1969 280SE
2023 Ram 1500
2007 Tiara 3200